Howard Government Attack Will Destroy Services Across Australian Universities

Media Statement - 8th August 2005

Crucial services at Australian universities will be destroyed if Education Minister Brendan Nelson succeeds with his extreme attack on student services, according to submissions to the Senate inquiry on the abolition of student services legislation.

It is a measure of just how out of touch the Howard Government is that it thinks university students can afford user-pays campus services.

Some of the services at risk at university campuses across Australia if Brendan Nelson gets his way are:

z Newcastle University - sports facilities which attract 1,000,000 visits a year

z Wollongong University - subsidized textbooks for students in need

z UNSW - 29 childcare spots with a total subsidy of $40,000

z University of Queensland - clubs and societies with 24,000 members

z Griffith University -services for disabled, indigenous and overseas students

Brendan Nelson is being totally intractable about this extreme attack on campus services. Nelson is

Australian Labor Party National ALP

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09/08/2005

http://www.alp.org.au/media/0805/msedu080.php

Jenny Macklin

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refusing to compromise on any aspect of his attack - even when regional communities, coalition politicians, Vice Chancellors, sporting and arts groups continue to voice concern about the damage to vital services.

It's a disgrace that the Liberal Party is prepared to put extreme ideology ahead of the needs of Australian students and local communities who depend on campus services for community life.

The submissions are available at: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/highed_unionfees/

Authorised by Tim Gartrell, 19 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600.

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